Embedded Systems & Programming Flashcards
7 cards from real CET practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Embedded Systems & Programming flashcards as text
What is the primary role of a bootloader in an embedded system?
Answer: To load, verify, and launch the main application firmware from non-volatile memory
A bootloader is a small program that runs first after reset, validates application firmware integrity, and transfers execution to it—or enters an update mode if needed.
Which debug interface is standard for ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers and supports both programming and real-time debugging?
Answer: SWD (Serial Wire Debug)
SWD (Serial Wire Debug) is ARM's two-wire alternative to JTAG, providing full debug and flash programming capability on Cortex-M devices using only SWDIO and SWDCLK.
What does DMA (Direct Memory Access) accomplish in an embedded system?
Answer: It transfers data between peripherals and memory without CPU involvement
DMA offloads data movement (e.g., ADC samples to RAM, SPI buffer to UART) from the CPU, allowing the processor to perform other work simultaneously.
What is the purpose of a linker script in an embedded C project?
Answer: It specifies how code and data sections are mapped to the microcontroller's physical memory regions
The linker script tells the linker where to place each section (.text, .data, .bss, etc.) in flash and RAM, reflecting the target device's memory map.
What is 'clock gating' in the context of embedded microcontroller power management?
Answer: Selectively disabling the clock to unused peripherals to reduce dynamic power consumption
Clock gating stops the clock signal to idle peripheral modules, eliminating their dynamic power draw without affecting active peripherals.
In a little-endian architecture, how is the 16-bit value 0x1234 stored in memory starting at address 0x00?
Answer: 0x00: 0x34, 0x01: 0x12
In little-endian, the least significant byte is stored at the lowest address: 0x34 goes to 0x00 and 0x12 goes to 0x01.
Which sleep/low-power mode typically preserves SRAM contents while halting CPU execution on most ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers?
Answer: Sleep mode (WFI/WFE with core clock stopped)
Sleep mode stops the CPU clock while keeping RAM powered and peripherals (optionally) running, allowing fast wake-up with full context preserved.